The zealous Christian taking heavenThe zealovs Christian taking heaven

Another Objection, or case of conscience is this; How can this be true, that God gives ¹his people more then they need, seeing it is the complaint of Gods people many times, that they have been a long time begging mercy, and God doth not give them so much as they desire. Many say, I pray for pardon of sin, and I cannot get it pardoned, and the pardon sealed: I pray daily for power against my corruptions, and yet I cannot get my lusts subdued? What then shall I think of my prayers, may some poor soul say?

1. 1Object. 1.

Now to this I shall lay down several things, by way of answer.

Answ. 1 1. It must be considered, that God many times gets glory by the denials of his people; yea, he gets more glory by denying, then by the granting of a mercy. And if the denying of a mercy to thee, be the way to advice. Gods glory; it is better that ⟨p. 93⟩God should have his glory, and thou be without the mercy, then that thou shouldst have the mercy, and God want his glory. An eminent instance of this you have, Joh. II. There was a prayer made by Mary and ¹Martha for their brother Lazarus; And they came unto Jesus and said, he whom thou lovest i• sick: But Jesus said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. When Jesus Christ heard that he was sick, yet he stayed two days in the place where he was, though he loved Martha, and he loved Lazarus, yet he stayed two days and would not go to him: but in the 14. verse, Christ said plainly, Lazarus is dead: And I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there, to the intent that you might believe. But they said unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, he had not dyed. Christ came and commanded them to role the stone away, Martha answered, He hath been four days in the grave, and by this time be stinketh. This was that that Christ aimed at: Christ knew that it was greater glory to him, to raise the dead out of the grave, then to raise him out of the bed of sickness: The power of his Godhead did more appear in the former then in the latter. And when Martha told him, He stinketh; Jesus answered, Said I not unto thee, if thou didst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God? that is, thou shouldst see the power of my Godhead. This was the end of Christs